


Steve Stop Being A Moron

by Sporadic_fics



Series: Endgame Fix-it fics [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, It takes place at the end with Steve and the stones, Other, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), well sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 06:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20204995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sporadic_fics/pseuds/Sporadic_fics
Summary: Steve Rogers is tired. It's 2023 and that man just needs a long nap but first of all, he has to bring back all the stones to where he and the other Avengers had originally taken them.This is basically a fix-it fic that I rage wrote because even though Steve's ending is kind of wholesome it feels incredibly out of character and creates about a 3000 plot holes





	Steve Stop Being A Moron

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy this. My tumblr is @sporadic-fics. Feel free to comment or even talk to me on there.

If it was up to Steve he would have waited longer to put the stones back, he knew they needed to be sent to where they belonged as soon as possible but his heart ached. Tony had died and they had never really had the opportunity to properly make up so Steve had guilt flowing through him. Natasha had also died which broke his heart, not only was she one of his closest friends but he wasn’t there when it happened and he wished that he had said something when she said ‘see you in a minute’ just before they went into the quantum realm but he didn’t and he would regret that for the rest of his life.

The first place he went to was Morag in 2014 to return the power stone. Getting there was easy, it was putting the stone back with the force field around where it should go that was hard. If it wasn’t for Nebula he would have probably lost his hand putting it back but she had told him what would happen so he used a grab stick to put it in its place. He stared in awe as the metal melted within seconds of touching the field. He only left when he made sure that it stayed in place for a few minutes.

He went to Vormir, also in 2014, to return to soul stone. It was dark and quite a hike to where he needed to go but he was okay with it, he had done this sort of hike before, especially in the war. When he got to the top he could see a figure, its outline blurred by a cloak fluttering in the humid breeze. The figure turned and Steve’s heart turned cold when he noticed who it was: Red Skull. 

He would have lunged at him and punched him every ounce of power he had, he knew he would have, but he was so tired. So tired of fighting and waking up with aching bones, so he just stayed there with his mouth dropping open and his chest heaving. The small case he had that held the stones felt heavy in his hand as he quickly fought his conscience. How could he give the stone to him? Someone who had wanted to kill so many people. Someone who was truly evil, however, Bruce’s voice ran through his head telling him that all the stones had to be put back.

Swallowing the lump in his throat he walked to the ledge, opened the case, picked up the stone and threw it over. He heard Red Skull speak his name, say that he was son of Sarah and son of Joseph but he blurred him out as he walked away. He pointed his finger at Red Skull, opened his mouth but then closed it. He was done with him and he really, really wanted him to rot in hell and this, Vormir, seemed like it.

He went to Asgard next, in the year 2013, to return the reality stone. He had heard Thor gush about it, both when he was drunk and sober, and he had told him about the large golden buildings that were in the city. He had spoken of the finest silks and armor his people would wear and he had told Steve to enjoy his time there while he could with a sad smile.

It was hard for Steve to blend in with his Captain America suit so he stuck to the shadows and tried to cover what he could with some fabric he had stolen. The palace was beautiful and occasionally he would have to snap himself out of a trance when his eye caught something especially beautiful. Luckily, with his mind being so good, he would be able to draw what he saw when he got home.  _ If  _ he got home. When he got to the room he needed to be he saw Thor there with Rocket and an older woman, she looked so much like Thor that he assumed that it was his mother. Steve had only heard of one sister from Thor and that was Hela, the goddess who killed a majority of his people.

He waited for Thor and Rocket to leave, happy to see Thor so relieved when he held his trusty Mjolnir. He knew Thor needed no weapon to wield thunder and lightning but he understood the comfort of a trusted weapon in hand. It would make his skin twitch when he didn’t have his shield, well, it used to. He had gotten used to not having it up until recently.

Although he stayed in the shadows he saw the older woman, Queen Frigga, look at him directly in the eye with a raised brow. When he met her eyes she glanced at where Thor and Rocket had been before looking back at him. He could practically hear her ask if he was a friend of Thor’s so he nodded and held up the Aether before turning his head to the room he needed to go to. Queen Frigga smiled with the relief of her son clearly finishing his mission before walking off.

Jane Foster was asleep when he slid into the room which made him happy because he just wanted everything over with at this point. He gave an involuntary wince as he gave back the Aether, not knowing what could potentially happen, but all that happened was that she let a little groan when her body absorbed it. He soon left.

For the time and mind stones, he went to the battle of New York and this was going to be the most complicated one. Last time, there were four people who were there and now there was just him. His first stop was the Avengers tower so he went to find the 2012 version of himself that was still passed out on the floor. He opened his case as he crouched and brought out the mini version of the scepter (in its original case) and used one of the objects that Scott had given him to make it the original size. It was genius.

When he heard movement coming from his right he quickly left the building and tried to follow the map Bruce had given him so he could find the Ancient One. It was a building he had seen before luckily and he just knocked on the door. He knew that the ancient one knew that he (or at least someone from the future) would be there to return the stone. The door opened and it revealed the Ancient One who looked at him blankly before opening the Eye of Agamotto so he could return the stone swiftly.

“You still have one left.”

“Yeah, it’s the last one and then they have all been sent back.” He was sincere, the Ancient One could hear it and see it. So she tilted her head to the side in thought.

“Do the right thing. Not only for you but for your friends.” With confusion all over his face gave a nod and left. 

His last stop was Camp Lehigh with the space stone. It was a place with many memories, both good and bad. This was the one place he had been dreading because he would see not only Howard again but Peggy as well. It all still hurt, her death feeling like a fresh wound, probably amplified from losing Tony and Natasha days ago.

He dressed in a different outfit, this time being from MIT like Tony had been before. When he put the last article of clothing on he gave a quick thought to Tony,  _ this is for you.  _ Nobody gave him a second look as he walked to the facility this time so it must have been Tony’s beard that had given them away. He gave a small laugh as he put the tesseract (Bruce had worked tirelessly at making it go back into a cube) back, Tony Stark, the king of being smooth was the one who got them caught out. Yes, the seal of the container was broken but it was back so he could only assume someone would look after it.

He had to do one more thing before going back even though he knew he shouldn’t. He crept towards Peggy Carter’s office and looked at her through the glass partition between them. He knew it was creepy but he needed to see her again. Selfishly, a part of his brain told him to go back to the 1940s to live his life with Peggy. It was wishful thinking, incredibly selfish and meant he could never see the Avengers again. No Bucky, no Sam, no Clint, none of them. Yet again, he could live in the 1940s, have the life he had always dreamt of and be with the girl he thought was his one true love.

The door was open and Peggy was talking to someone in the office and he could hear her, and he wasn’t trying to listen to what she was saying, he just wanted to hear her voice again but the words that did compute in his brain made him drawback. 

“How are the children?” It wasn’t Peggy who asked that it was the other person who had long brown hair with a lab coat on.

She had children, which more than likely meant she had a husband (the ring on her finger confirmed it) and Steve knew this, he had seen them in photos beside Peggy’s bed when she was in hospital and he even saw family members at her funeral but he had ignored them and kept the fantasy of him and Peggy in his mind. As he looked at her, he didn’t feel jealous of her having children or a husband, no, in fact, he felt happy for her. She really had a great life and he should have left the fantasy be and moved on a long time ago.

When her friend eventually left, he put his hand on the door and opened it a little further. Maybe he could have his dance now? Just now, be selfish and take for once in his life, take three and a half minutes and dance with her, get the ending to their chapter that they both deserved but as it opened he pressed the button on his wrist and left. He couldn’t give Peggy a glimpse of him now to only disappear because he knew he couldn’t stay, he had responsibilities in the 21st century.

It saddened him but it made him realize something, it made him realize that he did need a life. A life of no more fighting unless absolutely necessary, a life where he could fall in love and maybe even start a family, a life where he could build on his friendship with Bucky. This was Steve being selfish he goddamned deserved it so when he came back to 2023 seeing three panicked faces he pushed the shield into Sam’s hands.

“This is yours if you want it, pal, you deserve this and you are a good man.” Sam looked at him questionably and gave a glance to Bucky and Bruce. “I’m done. I think it’s my time to settle down for once in my life.”

Sam nodded, hugging the shield to his chest with it being locked into place on his forearm. “Thank you.”

With that Bucky slung his arm around Steve’s shoulder, snatched Sam by his sleeve and started walking away from Bruce. “Let’s get you home Steve.”

Steve did start on making his own life. He drew what he could remember of Asgard, even doing a few paintings so Thor could pick from them (the god had quietly wept as he looked upon Steve’s art). He even drew an image of he and Peggy dancing, so they did get that dance. It had felt final but comforting as he finished the piece. Sam became an excellent Captain America, which Steve didn’t doubt he would, and even trained with Bucky so they could do missions together. Bucky’s memories were still coming back and he helped Steve get dressed for dates, trying to teach him to flirt but then end up laughing so hard from getting mixed up between the 1940s flirting and nowadays flirting that he would end up having a stomach ache.

Life for Steven Grant Rogers was good. 

  
  



End file.
